Leroy Chiao: The First Feelings of Space

Source: Gizmodo

Contributing astronaut Leroy Chiao kicks off his Gizmodo guest blogging with the answer to that most frequently asked question, "So what's it like?" Here are his very first impressions of life in space:

Living in space is all at once wonderful, and a royal pain. During my first mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, I marveled at the sensation of freedom that came right after Main Engine Cut Off (MECO). I watched as tethered checklists floated gently back and forth, and it quickly became normal to release a camera lens in midair, as I removed the old one off of the camera to be replaced.

There was also a sense of dizziness, since the inner ear balance system wasn't working so well. My head felt a little full, as if I were laying down on an incline, since there was no longer any gravity to pull fluids down to my extremities. In fact, the human body carries about two liters less water in space, than on the Earth.

.....more

Sounds exciting! I look forward to reading more from Leroy.

Related:
Meet Leroy Chiao, This Week's Contributing Astronaut